Beijing Shanghai tour
 

I am planning a fall tour to China. Any comments on the Beijing Capital Hotel? an upstream Yangtze cruise? or Central Hotel Shanghai? Not looking for luxe but want to avoid major problems. Thanks in advance. Pellegrina

Hi Pellegrina,

If you are going to have a China tour in this fall, my suggestion is that you'd better avoid the duration of Olympic Games. Because as you know, during the games, it's not easy to book a hotel room and it will be expensice. Beijing Capital Hotel is a 4*hotel, the enviornment is very good and its location is in the downtown area. Its convenient for you to have Beijing city tour. I think it's a pretty choice to stay in this hotel.

As for the upstream Yangtze cruise. You get onboard in Yichang and then spend 4 days on a cruise ship. The itinerary is approximately like this:
Day 1. 7:00 am get on the ship in Yichang. 8:00 am, visit the Three Gorges Dam.11:00 am, visit one of the Three Gorges, the Xiling Gorge. 2:30 pm, visit the second gorge, the Wuxia Gorge.
Day 2. 8:00an-1:00am, visit the small Three Gorges. 2:30pm, visit the Qutang Gorge.
Day 3. 8:00-11:30am, visit the Fengdu Ghost City.
Day 4. 9:00 am, arrive in Chongqing and get off the ship.

And the Central Hotel Shanghai is also a 4*hotel with a long history. The facility of it is sophiticated.

If you have anything else need to clarify, send a email to me and I will try my best to give you as much information as I can. My email is [email protected]

Beijing`s Capital hotel is fine. We had no problems. Breakfast was good

Dear Wendy and Pat,
Thank you so much for your responses. I really appreciate it. Wendy, I WILL be emailing you when I have new questions. Xie xie nin.
Pellegrina

wendyquiwen is a Chinese travel agent advertising her services. If you want balanced answers to your questions based on independent views and a variety of experience you should post them here.

Note that visa restrictions are being progressively tightened as the Olympics approach and you are unlikely to be able to obtain a visa for China after July 1st unless you take an organized tour. According to some sources these restrictions may last as late as into October, although this seems less certain. You should make enquiries at your local consulate before booking any services or making firm plans for travel certainly between July 1 and the end of September.

While many have enjoyed the Yangzi cruise it is the view of many others that if you have a limited time in China this is a waste of four days on a completely ersatz experience, entirely over-hyped and made-for-tourists, and your time would be much better spent elsewhere.

If you want to stay at four-star level in China do not stay at Chinese-run hotels but at familiar foreign names if you want to get something nearer to value for money and adequate service. There are plenty of choices in both Beijing and Shanghai. If you want to stay in a Chinese-run hotel then you'll find newly-opened hotels at the three-star level almost always superior to older, long-established four stars such as the Capital that target foreign business and are used to fleecing tour groups.

In the case of foreign-run hotels the best prices are available on their own websites rather than through any agency, and for Chinese-run ones you should never book from overseas except through a 'discount' agency (which will give you something nearer to the price you would get by just showing up).

Peter N-H

Hi Pellegrina

We always enjoy party and many americans tell me that they like to look at these website:
www.amcham-china.org.cn
www.beachinesechef.com
www.cits.com.cn

Maybe you can get information in it.

Spam.

What is with all the Chinese spam lately? Gearing up for the Olympics?

Dear Peter,
Thank you for your clarifications. I understand about all the potential rip-offs that can occur when traveling--especially to a country one is not familiar with. I appreciate your advice. I am so excited about traveling to and seeing China. This has always been a dream of mine.

Pellegrina